In the U.S., it’s called the “Second City.” Over in Europe, despite its size, history, the deep-dish pizza, the Blues Brothers and Michael Jordan, Chicago doesn’t even register.

“I didn’t know anything about Chicago. I don’t know why,” long-time German national team defender Arne Friedrich told Sporting News recently. “In Germany and Europe, it doesn’t have the reputation of New York. Nobody was talking about Chicago.”

Friedrich typically vacationed in the U.S. twice a year, often visited New York, Miami and San Francisco. When asked why he never stopped in the Windy City, he said it simply never occurred to him.

Now, a little more than a year after injuries and malaise forced him to consider retirement, it has become his home and so much more. Now Friedrich can tell friends and former colleagues back in Germany that it was the City of Chicago and its MLS club, the Fire, that revitalized his career. In fact, he already is spreading the word.

“On my home page, I posted some good stuff about the city and I hope more guys come to see the city,” he said.

Friedrich, 33, is one of the most accomplished German players of the past decade -- which says quite a bit for someone hailing from a country at the forefront of the world’s game. His 82 German national team caps rank 18th all-time, and only five players who debuted in the 2000s for the three-time World Cup winner have more. Freidrich, who first played for Die Mannschaft in 2002, has started a pair of World Cup semifinals and a European Championship final and has captained Hertha Berlin, one of Germany’s biggest clubs.

He has as much pedigree as any player who has stepped onto an MLS field.

But as American soccer fans recently have become well aware, a decade-plus of commitment, travel and scrutiny can take its toll. U.S. star Landon Donovan has spoken several times in the past six months about his flagging energy and motivation and the possibility he might take a break from the game. Friedrich was at a similar crossroads following the summer of 2011, when he abruptly asked VfL Wolfsburg to cancel a contract scheduled to run until the summer of ’13.

A litany of injuries, including a slipped disc that required back surgery, and a rumored falling out with Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath left Friedrich pondering retirement. He had transferred to the 2008-09 Bundesliga champion in the summer of ’10 after eight years in Berlin and had appeared in just 15 of the subsequent 40 league matches.

“I lost a little of it, the fun of playing soccer,” he told Sporting News. “I canceled my contract at Wolfsburg and was thinking about ending my career. Then after a while I had a break for six months.”

How did he spend it?

“Just at home,” he said. “I was just thinking about what would I like to do. There was one possibility to stop playing soccer. Then I decided to come here to America. I like the country. I like the adventure.”

Fire coach Frank Klopas, desperate to return his beloved club to the playoffs after a two-year absence, invited Friedrich to make his first visit to Chicago last winter. Was he a suddenly-affordable, world-class defender eager for a change of scenery or a physically and emotionally broken player looking for an easy pay day?

“It was very important to listen to him,” Klopas told Sporting News on Tuesday, a day before the Fire play host to the Houston Dynamo in the opening game of the MLS Cup playoffs (Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

“This is his next move,” Klopas said. “What do you really want to accomplish? It’s not a place where you come for vacation. It’s a great city, but you can do that a different time. We’re trying to build a club that, on a consistent basis, is in the position we are now -- in the playoffs and competing for championship.”

At the same time, Klopas had to sell Friedrich on a foreign city in an otherwise familiar country. The coach, who moved to the area from Greece as a child, took the defender and his agent to a steak house and escorted them on a driving tour of Chicago’s neighborhoods.

“We lucked out with the weather,” Klopas joked. “This is a city built by immigrants. You can see the Italians, the Germans, the Polish the Greeks. Wherever you come from, you probably feel at home here. You’ll find your people. You’ll find restaurants. You show them the culture, the museums, the downtown area, the landscape, Lake Michigan.”

After a couple of days, Friedrich was “all on board,” Klopas said. The repaired back checked out, the enthusiasm had returned and the Fire signed the German icon to a one-year deal for only $231,000.

A risky move has turned out to be a steal.

Friedrich has been outstanding as the anchor of the Fire’s revamped back four. He has started 22-of-34 MLS games, leading Chicago to a 13-5-4 record in those matches. On the day he spoke to Sporting News, he teamed up with rookie of the year candidate Austin Berry to erase New York Red Bulls star Thierry Henry in a 2-0 Fire win at Red Bull Arena.

Friedrich not only has the skill to mark MLS’ most feared attackers, he has the leadership and experience to help a young defense improve. The Fire (17-11-6 overall) finished the regular season with the Eastern Conference’s second-ranked defense (tied with Houston).

“He makes it difficult for any player to play against him and especially playing next to Jalil (Anibaba) and Austin, two younger guys, it’s fantastic,” said Chicago’s 23-year-old goalkeeper, Sean Johnson. “To have someone back there be a settling force, to keep those guys on the same page, keep them level-headed and keep them connected to him, it’s been nothing but goodness since he’s been here.”

Klopas said Friedrich’s doldrums disappeared almost immediately.

“Just his work ethic, he earned respect right way,” the manager said. “He’s been fantastic. He comes in early, does stuff with the fitness specialists and in training, competes every day. It motivates the other guys to get to that level. When you have guys like that, a coach’s job becomes easier.”

Friedrich never has won a league championship and is so eager to earn his first that he has posted the MLS playoff format -- or “modus”, as he called it -- on the same website he uses to tout the city of Chicago. When the Fire’s season ends, whether it’s Wednesday or at the MLS Cup final on Dec. 1, he then must decide if he wants to continue his American adventure.

Klopas said the club already is “working to make sure (Friedrich is) back here next year.”

As for Friedrich, he showed no signs that his personal Chicago fire is on the wane.

“The city is unbelievable,” he said. He relishes the relative anonymity, has welcomed numerous visitors from Germany, became a Bears fan and is happy with the level of play in MLS -- “everybody can run, everybody can play soccer,” he said.

“It was a good step to come here, and I never regret it. I’m happy to be part of the Chicago Fire.”